Black Tide: the Santa Barbara Oil Spill and Its Consequences PDF Download

Author: Robert Easton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Author: Teresa Sabol Spezio
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
ISBN: 0822983362
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
In January 1969, the blowout on an offshore oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and the resulting oil spill proved to be a transformative event in pollution control and the nascent environmental activism movement. It accelerated the advancement of federal government policies and would change the way the federal government managed environmental pollution. Over the next three years, Congress worked to pass laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act, and revolutionized the way that the United States dealt with environmental pollution. At the same time, scientists developed methods to detect chemical pollution that had been discharged into rivers and streams by industrial facilities. Slick Policy presents an original and in-depth history of the 1969 Santa Barbara spill. Teresa Sabol Spezio provides a background of water pollution control, government oversight of federally-funded projects, and chemical detection methods in place prior to the spill. She then shows how scientists and politicians used public outrage over the spill to implement wide-ranging changes to federal environmental and science policy, and demonstrates the advancements to offshore oil drilling, pollution technology, and water protection law that resulted from these actions.

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309084385
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.

Author: Robert Easton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Author: Stephen M. Testa
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071772901
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 593

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The definitive guide to petroleum hydrocarbon fuel spill and leak causes, prevention, response, and cost recovery Oil Spills and Gas Leaks highlights the complex nature of petroleum hydrocarbon fuel extraction methods, the unintended consequences when disasters occur, spill behavior, and environmental impact mitigation. This practical resource discusses engineering techniques; long-term biological and environmental effects; dealing with insurance claims, litigation, and legislation in overlapping jurisdictions; and much more. Featuring global case studies and best practices, this timely volume provides an in-depth understanding of how oil spills and gas leaks occur and describes the most effective environmental assessment, remediation, and restoration options available to respond to these industrial accidents. Coverage includes: The role of petroleum hydrocarbon fuels in society Geology and geochemistry of oil and gas deposits Oil and gas well drilling and production issues Hydraulic fracturing for shale gas and oil Behavior of oil spills in various environments Behavior of gas leaks in various environments Assessment of spills and leaks Toxicity issues and exposure pathways Subsurface investigations Sampling strategies and remedial approaches Sampling methods on land and offshore Prevention, oversight, and mitigation Remediation of oil spills Case histories and cost recovery Oil spills and wildlife Oil spills and safety issues Conclusions and recommendations

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309478219
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Whether the result of an oil well blowout, vessel collision or grounding, leaking pipeline, or other incident at sea, each marine oil spill will present unique circumstances and challenges. The oil type and properties, location, time of year, duration of spill, water depth, environmental conditions, affected biomes, potential human community impact, and available resources may vary significantly. Also, each spill may be governed by policy guidelines, such as those set forth in the National Response Plan, Regional Response Plans, or Area Contingency Plans. To respond effectively to the specific conditions presented during an oil spill, spill responders have used a variety of response optionsâ€"including mechanical recovery of oil using skimmers and booms, in situ burning of oil, monitored natural attenuation of oil, and dispersion of oil by chemical dispersants. Because each response method has advantages and disadvantages, it is important to understand specific scenarios where a net benefit may be achieved by using a particular tool or combination of tools. This report builds on two previous National Research Council reports on dispersant use to provide a current understanding of the state of science and to inform future marine oil spill response operations. The response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill included an unprecedented use of dispersants via both surface application and subsea injection. The magnitude of the spill stimulated interest and funding for research on oil spill response, and dispersant use in particular. This study assesses the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool and evaluates trade-offs associated with dispersant use.

Author: Nicholas P Cheremisinoff
Publisher: William Andrew
ISBN: 0815520360
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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This new Handbook provides a series of reference guides to cleaner production methods, technologies, and practices for key industry sectors. Each volume covers, for each industry sector: * the manufacturing technologies * waste management * pollution * methods for estimating and reporting emissions * treatment and control technologies * worker and community health risk exposures * cost data for pollution management * cleaner production and prevention alternatives Best Practices in The Petroleum Industry provides an overview of refineries and gas plant operations and identifies the key Environmental Aspects, supported by case studies of major incidents that resulted in catastrophic releases of oil and refined products, and a critical assessment of the methodology and calculation procedures that the industry relies on in preparing emissions inventories. The authors offer alternative approaches to providing more accurate emissions estimates, and guidelines on cleaner production and pollution prevention practices for improving overall environmental performance. - Overview of the key Environmental Aspects of gas plant operations and refineries - Case studies of major incidents that resulted in catastrophic releases of oil and refined products, including the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969 and the EXXON Valdez incident - Provides guidelines on cleaner production and pollution prevention practices for improving overall environmental performance

Author: Earl Boebert
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674545230
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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On April 20, 2010, the crew of the floating drill rig Deepwater Horizon lost control of the Macondo oil well forty miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Escaping gas and oil ignited, destroying the rig, killing eleven crew members, and injuring dozens more. The emergency spiraled into the worst human-made economic and ecological disaster in Gulf Coast history. Senior systems engineers Earl Boebert and James Blossom offer the most comprehensive account to date of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Sifting through a mountain of evidence generated by the largest civil trial in U.S. history, the authors challenge the commonly accepted explanation that the crew, operating under pressure to cut costs, made mistakes that were compounded by the failure of a key safety device. This explanation arose from legal, political, and public relations maneuvering over the billions of dollars in damages that were ultimately paid to compensate individuals and local businesses and repair the environment. But as this book makes clear, the blowout emerged from corporate and engineering decisions which, while individually innocuous, combined to create the disaster. Rather than focusing on blame, Boebert and Blossom use the complex interactions of technology, people, and procedures involved in the high-consequence enterprise of offshore drilling to illustrate a systems approach which contributes to a better understanding of how similar disasters emerge and how they can be prevented.

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Interior and Insular Affairs
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Author: William R. Freudenburg
Publisher: Mit Press
ISBN: 9780262517294
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Freudenburg and Gramling argue that it is time for a new approach. BP's Oil Spill Response Plan was pure fantasy, claiming the company could handle the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez spill every day, even though "cleaning up" an oil spill is essentially impossible. For the future, our emphasis needs to be on true prevention, and our risk-management policies need to be based on better understandings of humans as well as hardware."--Pub. desc.